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January 2008

Madonna's Super Bowl Score

One ticket to the Super Bowl: $2,000. Thirty seconds of advertising during the Super Bowl: $2.7 million. Five seconds' worth of Madonna in a Super Bowl ad: A heck of a lot more than that.
Sources tell E! Online that the Material Girl was paid $10 million to appear in a commercial for Sunsilk hair-care products that will premiere during the in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game between the New England Patriots and New York Giants (most of whom do not make $10 million in an entire season).
In the 30-second spot, old stock footage of Madonna, Shakira and Marilyn Monroe is woven together in a Warholian, pop art-inspired montage touting Sunsilk's new 'Life Can't Wait' global campaign.
'Make your hair happen,' the ad urges, to the closing strains of Madonna's 'Ray of Light.'
Shakira did herself a nice-although not as nice-turn, as well, collecting $2.5 million from Unilever, which opted to use its only Super Bowl buy to spotlight the Sunsilk brand. (For those who don't want to wait for the two-minute warning, the commercial can be previewed at lifecan'twait.com.)
Madonna's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, had no comment on her client's reported payday.
'I have not seen the commercial nor do I have any information on the financial part of the deal,' she told E! News.

From E! Online


Forbes' Top-Earning Women In Music

'It takes a really big man to fill my shoes,' Madonna once quipped. Apparently, it also takes a really rich man to fill those formidable size eights. The 49-year-old pop superstar tops Forbes' first-ever Cash Queens of Music list of the top-earning female musicians, banking $72 million between June 2006 and June 2007.
Madonna earned much of that from her landmark Confessions tour, the highest-grossing tour for a female artist, earning $260 million worldwide. During that time-frame, Madonna also enjoyed income from record sales, her deal with hipster retailer of choice H&M and payment from NBC for rights to broadcast her concert performance at London's Wembley Arena.
The Material Mom isn't slowing down one bit as she swings toward her 50th birthday this August. In October, the famously shrewd musician ditched Warner Music Group, her record label of 20 years, for an unprecedented 10-year deal with concert promoter Live Nation worth an estimated $120 million.

1 - Madonna - $72m (£36m)
2 - Barbra Streisand - $60m (£30m)
3 - Celine Dion - $45 (£22.6m)
4 - Shakira - $38m (£19.2m)
5 - Beyonce - £27m (£13.5m)
6 - Gwen Stefani - $26m (£13m)
7 - Christina Aguilera - $20m (£10m)
8 - Faith Hill - $19m (£9.5m)
9 - Dixie Chicks - $18m (£9m)
10 - Mariah Carey - $13m (£6.5m)

From Forbes.com - thanks to Chris


Filth and Wisdom premiere date

Madonna's directorial debut will premiere at the Berlinale Film Festival on Wednesday 13 February. Madonna will be attending the premiere screening.

Below the dates and locations for the screening of Filth and Wisdom:

Wednesday 13 February 21:30 - Zoo Palast 1
Thursday 14 February 10:30 - CinemaxX 7
Friday 15 February 14:00 - International
Saturday 16 February 21:30 - Zoo Palast 1
Sunday 17 February 14:30 - Cubix 9

For more information about tickets visit www.berlinale.de/berlinale_programm

Thanks to Jordana and Margit


Mika denies Madonna snub

British pop star Mika is baffled by claims he turned down the chance to collaborate with Madonna on her new album. The Grace Kelly hitmaker was reported to have refused an offer from Madonna to work on her forthcoming LP - but he's adamant the rumours are not true as she's never approached him about a collaboration.
However, the Lebanese-born singer would definitely consider working with the Like A Virgin star if she ever asked him. He says, 'I'm not working with her (Madonna). Believe me, if I got asked to work with her, I certainly wouldn't turn it down. Of all the women I'm fascinated by, she's certainly up there.'

From contactmusic.com


Rock royalty to meet glamour queens at Berlinale

The Rolling Stones and Madonna will rub shoulders with Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson as next month's Berlin Film Festival spotlights music in cinema, its director said in an interview.
Berlinale chief Dieter Kosslick said the match-up of rock and pop royalty with the big screen's hottest stars promised one of the glitziest years on the red carpet in the event's 58-year history.
Luring Oscar winner Martin Scorsese and the self-proclaimed world's greatest rock'n'roll band to Berlin for the premiere of their concert film 'Shine A Light' was a triumph even Kosslick first thought was too good to be true.
'It's a major coup,' the 59-year-old told AFP.
'They had to trust us as a festival that we would know how to handle a premiere of this calibre. Because you can only imagine what will be going on that night on the red carpet.'
'Shine A Light' will open the February 7-17 event.
Madonna will be in town with her directorial debut 'Filth and Wisdom', starring cult British actor Richard E. Grant, Roma punk band Gogol Bordello and a cast of Balkan actors Kosslick said 'look like they walked off the set of an Emir Kusturica film'.
The short feature will be showing in the Panorama section outside the main competition.

From AFP Via Yahoo! News


Vote Update: Winter Music Conference

*UPDATE - The deadline for nominations has been extended until Sunday 27 January*

If you remember we all voted for Madonna last year at the Winter Music Conference and she won two awards!

Fans can nominate Madonna for a Lifetime Contribution to Development of Dance Music - just scroll down to category #40 (you do not have to fill any other of the categories in) and nominate Madonna. If Madonna gets enough nominations then she will be up for the award and we can vote for later this month.

Vote at www.wintermusicconference.com/events/idmas/idmaballot


Madonna turns £6 million home into gym

Madonna has reportedly turned the £6 million house next door to her home in Marylebone into a state-of-the-art personal fitness centre.
The singer and her film director husband Guy Ritchie fought off fierce A-list competition in June to buy the property. Photographer Mario Testino and Absolutely Fabulous actress Jennifer Saunders were said to be interested.
The ten-bedroom Georgian house is one of six properties the global pop star owns around central London, in addition to homes in New York, Los Angeles and Wiltshire.
Madonna previously attended sessions with a personal trainer in St John's Wood.
This is said to have been a costly exercise, as her chauffeur was landed with £2,500 parking fines in six months as he waited on yellow lines for the singer to complete her yoga sessions.
The chauffeur was forced to resort to moving the car backwards and forwards in a bid to avoid the parking penalties.

From ITN News


More edgy, more fresh - with no more disco

Madonna’s stylist, who goes by the name of B., was also in the audience (at the Chanel Couture show). Having just wrapped up working on Madonna’s next album cover, shot by Steven Klein, the trendsetter said she was returning to London the next day to style a music video featuring Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. 'Madonna’s look is going to be more edgy, more fresh - with no more disco,' she said.

From WWD.com


Vote: Winter Music Conference

If you remember we all voted for Madonna last year at the Winter Music Conference and she won two awards!

Even though she did not release anything 'new' in 2007 we can nominate Madonna for a Lifetime Contribution to Development of Dance Music - just scroll down to category #40 (you do not have to fill any other of the categories in) and nominate Madonna. If Madonna gets enough nominations then she will be up for the award and we can vote for later this month.

Vote at www.wintermusicconference.com/events/idmas/idmaballot

Thanks to John


Madonna named Most Elegant Female of 2007

Thanks in part to all the fans who voted over the past few weeks, Madonna has been crowned as the Most Elegant Female of 2007 in an online poll run by Hello! magazine.

In the Most Elegant Woman category it was the queen of pop, Madonna, who impressed readers most with her impeccable sense of style - storming to victory with well over a third of the vote. She saw off competition from pop princess Christina Aguilera, who came in second with 27 per cent, as well as former Buffy The Vampire Slayer beauty Sarah Michelle Gellar and last year's winner, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who was in fourth position this time around.

The queen of pop's finely toned body helps her carry off the freshest styles. At evening dos the dancefloor diva pours herself into timelessly elegant, figure-hugging dresses. Her daytime look is more cutting edge, featuring funky t-shirts and skinny jeans, plus that staple of the true fashionista – oversize sunnies.

To read the full story visit www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities


I'm Gonna Wash That Brand Right Into My Hair

A hair-care brand is hoping to generate some attention through a worldwide campaign that gets under way with a star-filled commercial during Super Bowl XLII on Fox on Feb. 3.
The commercial will present three famous, fabulous females - Madonna, Marilyn Monroe and Shakira - to promote the Sunsilk line of hair products sold by Unilever. The 30-second spot is scheduled for the fourth quarter of the game.
Some Super Bowl commercials that have been much blogged and buzzed about in recent years have been for products aimed at women. It may seem counterintuitive, but it can make sense if you consider that about 40 percent of the audience for the game is female.
Indeed, the Super Bowl is typically the No. 1 show for women each year, or No. 2 (after the Academy Awards).
The campaign carries the theme 'Life can’t wait' and urges women to 'make your hair happen.' The commercial will direct viewers to a Web site, which is scheduled to go live on Feb. 1.
Visitors to the site will be asked to share personal stories about how they — like Madonna, Monroe and Shakira — try to live life to the fullest.
Or, in the case of Monroe, who died in 1962, lived life to the fullest.
The commercial features snippets of songs associated with each star. Madonna sings 'Ray of Light,' Monroe sings 'I Want to Be Loved By You' and Shakira sings 'Whenever, Wherever.'
After the spot appears in the Super Bowl, the campaign will migrate around the world, to 15 markets in Europe, Latin America and Asia. Sunsilk is sold by Unilever in about 80 countries.

From TV Decoder / New York Times - thanks to Mo


Events: London G-A-Y Madonna Party

Saturday 19 January – G-A-Y MADONNA PARTY for The 24th ANNIVERSARY Of The Release Of 'HOLIDAY'
A CONFESSION ON THE G-A-Y DANCE FLOOR To Celebrate the 24th Anniversary Of MADONNA’s UK Debut Single 'HOLIDAY' Charting In The UK

G-A-Y is the only club that can host such a tribute to a pop queen who's endless hits create another G-A-Y POP PARTY, where nearly all MADONNA's hits will be played on a regular basis, including 2 full half hours of MADONNA NON STOP HITS.

Everyone loves MADONNA, & Everyone will Love the G-A-Y MADONNA PARTY, All The Hits, All The Videos, A Big MADONNA Giveaway & One Hell Of A Pop Party. 24 YEARS OF MADONNA & It Only Seems Like Yesterday.

More information and £6 discount tickets can be downloaded at www.g-a-y.co.uk


Madonna sees the Spice Girls show

The Return Of The Spice Girls tour got an extra boost of Girl Power this evening (Wednesday 16 January) when the queen of pop herself came to watch the show. That’s right, Madonna and her family were in the audience at The O2 Arena in London to watch the fab five perform their power-packed song and dance spectacular.
It’s not the first time Madonna has seen the Spice Girls in concert, and the girls were delighted once again to perform in front of one of pop’s biggest icons.
The Return Of The Spice Girls tour is directed and choreographed by Jamie King, who has worked with Madonna since 1996 and has directed her last three world tours.

From www.thespicegirls.com - thanks to JP and Rudy


Rumours: Madonna for the Superbowl?

Madonna and Paula Abdul could perform live in Fox's Super Bowl telecast on February 3, as part of the pregame musical festivities, according to rumours by some Internet sites.
The network already announced that Tom Petty is headlining the halftime show, but it also added that other guests could be added as the date nears.
The sources said Abdul is rehearsing a music video for a duet with fellow American Idol judge Randy Jackson, which will be the first single off Jackson's upcoming album, Music Club Vol. 1, and that if she does agree to perform at the Super Bowl, Abdul would likely incorporate choreography from that video in her Super Bowl act.
As to Madonna, it is said she plans to debut her new single, '4 Minutes to Save the World,' from her highly anticipated upcoming album, which features Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.
In 1999, the Queen of Pop was supposed to premiere her version of Don McLean's classic 'American Pie,' but her busy schedule forced her to cancel her performance. 'I am sorry that I will not be able to join all the great entertainers who will be performing on Super Bowl Sunday. My sincere apologies to the NFL, ABC-TV, as well as my fans. I look forward to the possibility of doing something with the NFL in the future,' stated Madonna at that time.

From DominicanToday - thanks to David


Darren Hayes' cover of Dress You Up

Singer and long-time Madonna fan Darren Hayes performed a version of Madonna's Dress You Up during his concert on New Years Eve - here is what Darren told madonnalicious about the performance:

I did this as a special treat on New Years Eve. I told the audience, and it's true, that seeing M doing this on a VHS copy of 'The Virgin Tour' when I was a kid made me want to be a performer. Twenty years later I performed it for my own audience and it felt just as good!


Madonna is symbol of 'modern womanhood'

Madonna is a symbol of 'modern womanhood', according to Donatella Versace.
The 'Hung Up' star is branded a 'true icon' by the famous fashion designer.
Versace said, 'The word 'icon' is overused, but in the case of Madonna I believe it has some meaning. She is a true icon. She has become a symbol of modern womanhood - confident, ambitious, dynamic, constantly reinventing herself.'
'In 2005 Versace was involved in a process of reinvention with me, a blonde woman, at its helm, so I thought it would be appropriate to have Madonna as the representative of the brand.'
'She is also a friend of mine and my late brother Gianni so there is a sense in which she symbolised the way in which Versace was staying true to its DNA, while evolving for the 21st century.'
Madonna was the face of Versace's Spring/Summer range in 2005.

From azcentral.com


Theatre: Counterfeit Skin

The brand new play Counterfeit Skin by Jason Charles will be performed at the Courtyard Theatre in Hoxton, London, UK, 22nd January to 10th February 2008.

It is about a young male receptionist named Mach (played by James Trueman) who is obsessed with Madonna. She is his icon and inspiration and he loses himself in her music to escape his unhappy life. The highlight of Madonna's career for Mach was her empowering Blond Ambition tour, and Mach's attempts to recreate moments from it....on the reception desk, in a box at the Royal Ballet, on his boss's living room floor....often get him into trouble with hilarious consequences!

The set of the play is going to be designed by Aaron Marsden, who was one of the designers on the blockbuster film Moulin Rouge.

For more information visit www.myspace.com/counterfeitskin


Madonna visits Mumbai's religious sites

Madonna, dubbed the Queen of Pop, visited a synagogue, a church and a mosque on Wednesday in India's financial capital as part of a holiday with her family.
The 49-year-old multiple-Grammy-award winner was accompanied by her film director husband Guy Ritchie and Australian author Gregory Roberts, whose bestselling autobiographical novel 'Shantaram' is set in Mumbai.
Dressed in a black T-shirt, jeans, shawl and boots, the pop star and her group, which included bodyguards, visited the 124-year-old Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue in south Mumbai.
After a meal at the plush Moshe's restaurant at upscale Cuffe Parade neighbourhood, Madonna and company visited the Afghan Church, which was built by the British to commemorate the dead of the First Afghan War of 1838.
This was followed by a quick look at the famous Haji Ali mosque, one of Mumbai's most popular landmarks.
Madonna, Ritchie and their three children arrived in Mumbai Tuesday morning by chartered plane from the historic city of Udaipur in western India, where they spent New Year's Eve.
On Tuesday, Madonna walked through narrow lanes in a slum and visited a flea market.
She also met Bollywood star Suniel Shetty on Tuesday night.

From AFP Via Yahoo! News


Madonna on the Billboard Year End Charts

Madonna has several placements on the 2007 Year End US Billboard Charts.
Here they are:

Top Electronic Artists
#8 - Madonna

Top Electronic Albums
#7 - Confessions On A Dance Floor

Hot Dance Singles Sales Artists
#2 - Madonna

Hot Dance Airplay
#22- Jump

Hot Dance Singles Sales
#2 - Jump
#10 - Get Together

Hot Singles Sales
#18 - Jump

Top Music Video Sales
#19 - The Confessions Tour

Thanks to Jonathan


Madonna tours Mumbai slum during India holiday

Pop icon Madonna Tuesday walked through narrow lanes in a slum and visited a flea market in India's financial capital during a holiday with her family.
Madonna, her film director husband Guy Ritchie and their three children arrived in Mumbai Tuesday morning by chartered plane from the historic city of Udaipur in western India, where they spent New Year's Eve.
Dressed in a black T-shirt, jeans and jacket, the pop star along with her husband and bodyguards ambled through Mumbai's crowded Ambedkar Nagar slums, an AFP photographer said.
Slum residents showered rose petals on Madonna to welcome her, even though few knew who the celebrity was.
The 49-year-old singer was accompanied by Australian author Gregory Roberts, whose bestselling autobiographical novel 'Shantaram' is set in Mumbai.
Madonna then stopped for a roadside meal of a local delicacy called Misal Pav - bread and spicy white peas - at a budget restaurant with Roberts, a convicted bank robber who has made Mumbai his home.
The pop star also stopped by at the well-known Chor Bazaar flea market, but did not buy anything.

From AFP Via Yahoo! News


Madonna prays at Nathdwara, Eklingji temples

Pop diva Madonna is absorbing every bit of the scenic beauty and traditional magic of Rajasthan. The 'Material Girl' paid a visit to the state's famous Nathdwara temple along with her husband Monday afternoon and prayed at the revered shrine.
Madonna, who has extended her stay in Rajasthan, visited the Srinathji temple in Nathdawara, around 50 km from here.
'She stayed at the Hotel Oberoi Udaivilas till lunch and afterwards left for the Nathdwara temple, from where she also went to the temple of Eklingji. She is expected to stay in Udaipur for at least one more day,' a source told IANS.
'She arrived at the temple around 3.40 p.m. along with her husband. She spent around five minutes praying with folded hands, after which she was also felicitated by the temple authorities and given prasad,' a temple source said.
The pop star, after spending a week at Jodhpur, landed in Udaipur early Sunday morning.
Nathdawara is famous for its Krishna temple, which houses the 12th century idol of the Shrinathji, or Krishna. The idol was moved in the 17th century from Govardhan hill, near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, to protect it from Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's campaign against Hindu worship in his empire.
Millions of devotees come to the temple every year.
After spending some time at the temple, Madonna drove back to Udaipur. On her way back she also prayed at Eklingji, dedicated to Lord Shiva, about 20 km from here.
'She is enjoying her Rajasthan holiday very much and it seems she does not want to miss any of the important places in the state,' the source added.
Madonnna, accompanied by her husband, son and some family friends arrived in Jaipur Dec 31 from the Maldives.
From Dec 31 to Jan 5, she was staying at heritage hotels near Jodhpur. She went horse riding, danced the ghoomar attired in traditional folk dress, and joined folk dancers in singing 'Nimbura, Nimbura' and other songs.

From IANS Via Yahoo! News


Trudie Styler: How I set up Madonna and Guy

Rocker Sting's wife Trudie Styler is responsible for introducing Madonna to her director husband Guy Ritchie. The 54-year-old - who was an executive producer for the filmmaker's hit movies Snatch and Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels - felt the pair were well-suited for romance, and invited both to a dinner party in 1998.
She says, 'Oh, God! Yes, I had a sense that they'd really like each other and really complement each other and I think they do - they're fantastic parents, and they sparkle when they're together. But I'm not a kiss and tell!' Madonna and Ritchie named Styler godmother to their son Rocco John after he was born in 2000.

From contactmusic.com